Control for compacting bag in household appliance



Oct. 5, 1965 cs. E. MCGINNIS CONTROL FOR GOMPACTING BAG IN HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE Filed April 27, 1964 PUSH BUTTON COMPRESSOR RESERVOIR VACUUM RESERVOIR INVENTOR Gerald E. McGinnis ATTORNEY United States Patent M 3,209,680 CONTROL FOR COMPACTING BAG IN HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCE Gerald E. McGinnis, Plum Boro, Pa., assignor to Westinghouse Electric Corporation, Pittsburgh, Pa., 3 corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Apr. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 362,591 3 Claims. (Cl. 100211) This invention relates to household appliances and particularly to incinerators installed as a unit among other conventional appliances and employed and controlled by the housewife operator.

An object of the invention is to render the inflation and deflation of the compacting bag as nearly automatic as possible and to eliminate all technical operations beyond the simple capabilities of the housewife.

One example of a household appliance to which the present invention may be applied is an incinerating device for the disposal of household waste. In operation, the housewife must be able to stuff trash into the device at will, but since the trash must be compacted into an imporous mass forming a plug, the operation must be little more than raising the lid of the trash bin momentarily. The compacting means within the trash bin consists of a bag which, through inflation, will move into an occupy all empty space within the bin while exerting enough pressure on thecom-pressible trash to form it into an imporous mass of sufficient structural strength to lodge against the funnel shaped sides of a restriction ring so that its bottom face may remain suspended without the help of a grate and thus form a wall of the combustion chamber. The lid 'ofthe trash bin, against which the compacting bag also exerts and equal pressure must be clamped in place so that the operator must unlock this clamped lid before raising it in order to stuff more trash therein. In order to make the operation reasonably rapid an on and off butt-on is provided so that the operator must turn the device off and this will bring inflation to a halt and start the deflation of the bag, in other words, the bag is switched from a source of compressed air to a vacuum. When the lid is unlatched and the operator has completed the stuffing of trash in the bin, the lid may be latched tight and the but-ton turned to the on position, whereupon the bag is switched from a vacuum to a source of compressed air.

Rapidity in operation may be achieved by making the source of compressed air and the source of vacuum of considerablecapacity which means good sized motors, but these are costly and sometimes noisy. In accordance with the present invention a small motor is used to charge a pair of storage tanks, one with compressed air and the other with air much below normal atmospheric pressure. These tanks may be charged slowly, but are emptied to inflate or deflate the compacting bag rapidly. The small motor is economical in first cost and maintenance and is quiet in operation, surpassing in these respects the motor used in other household appliances, such as the conventional vacuum cleaner.

A feature of the invention may thus be stated to be means to prepare over a comparatively long period for an operation which, when effected, must be ideally close to instantaneous.

Another feature of the invention is a series of switches used with the on button of the main operating means of the device whereby the reservoir of compressed air cannot be connected to the compacting bag until the lid of the bin has been clamped in place or when the bag is fully inflated even though the circuit through the on button has been closed. The second of these switches may be adjusted to respond to the pressure within the com- 3,209,680 Patented Get. 5, 1965 pacting bag so that when this pressure reaches or exceeds the required amount, the circuit for opening the valve leading from the reservoir of compressed air to the bag will be opened and communication between the reservoir and the bag will be shut off. When the pressure in the compacting bag falls in any degree below this value, the switch is closed so that the valve may be opened. The first of these switches is an interlocking means used to prevent communication between the reservoir of compressed air and the compacting bag unless the lid is tightly secured.

Other features will appear hereinafter.

The drawings consist of a single sheet having one figure consisting of a schematic diagram of the piping, the reservoirs, the valves the compressor and the trash bin partly in vertical cross section.

The trash bin is an open bottom container 1, having a lid 2, which may be clamped tightly to the body 1 of the bin by any suitable quick-disconnect clamping mechanism, indicated schematically at C, and preferably located diametrically opposite a conventional hinge H. When so tightly clamped, a compacting bag 3 will be put in communication with a pipe or flexible hose 4, through which air for inflating or for deflating the bag 3 may be passed. When the bag 3 is fully inflated, it will act to compact the trash 5 which has been stuifed into the bin. The upper part of the combustion chamber 25 has ceramic funnel shaped sides 7, against which the plug of compacted material 5 comes to rest so that its bottom face 6 substantially constitutes one wall of the combustion chamber. There are means, not shown, for inducing and maintaining combustion of this face 6 and, as it becomes eroded and shrunken through combustion, the plug moves downwardly to maintain the burning face 6 constantly at the same location.

When more trash is to be stufi'ed into the bin, the bag 3 must be deflated and the lid 2 must be unlached and then lifted. When all the trash at hand has been stuffed into the bin, then the lid 2 is closed and latched and the bag is inflated. it will be understood that to carry out these operations rapidly enough to make this device practical for use by the housewife operator would require a heavy duty compressor and a heavy duty suction fan, both too costly and impractical for use in a house-hold appliance. Applicant therefore provides a light duty compressor 8 in the form of an electric motor operating means to compress air into the pipe 9 leading to the compressed air reservoir 10 and means to evacuate the reservoir 11 through the pipe .12. The reservoirs l0 and 11 will therefore be brought to the predetermined pressure slowly and maintained thereat through the use of relief valves 13 and 14 respectively.

Let it be assumed that the ON button of the push button switch 15 has been operated, that the valve 16 has been operated and that the bag 3 is fully inflated because it is in communication with the reservoir 10. It is desired to open the trash bin to stuff more trash therein. The housewife pushes the OFF button of the switch 15, whereupon the valve 16 is closed and the valve 17 is opened, thus putting the bag 3 into communication with the low pressure (evacuated) reservoir 11. The bag 3 will be deflated suddenly and swiftly so that the operator may proceed to unlatch the lid 2 and lift the lid and the will be deflated suddenly and swiftly so that the operator has been completed, the lid is replaced on the top of the bin and the ON button of the switch 15 is pushed. It will be understood that conventional power supply is connected to the switch 15 and to the compressor 8 and by the diagram it will be noted that the circuit from the ON button of switch 15 passes in series through switches 18 and 19 so that both must be closed before the valve 16 is operated. Switch 18 is an air pressure switch which only opens the circuit which it controls when the pressure in the inflated bag 3 becomes too high.

v When this occurs the circuit for the valve 16 is opened and communication between the bag 3 and the compressed air reservoir is cut off. The switch 19 is a mechanical interlock switch closed only when the lid 2 is in place and clamped to the bin 1. Thus it is not until the lid is adjusted to contain the bag 3 atop the trash that the bag may be inflated. It will be noted that when the valve 16 is opened and communication between the reservoir 10 and the bag 3 is established, the bag 3 will be inflated suddenly and swiftly.

It may be noted that a relief valve 20 is provided (to operate practically at the same time as switch 18) when the pressure in the bag 3 becomes too high. The reservoir 10 may also be piped by the pipe 21 to other means in this household appliance operated by compressed air such, by way of example, as jet means for cleaning the burning face 6 of the plug 5.

What is claimed is:

1. The combination of a compacting bag within the trash bin of a waste disposer, said trash bin and a lid therefor having means to clamp said lid tightly to said bin to confine said bag to said bin when inflated, and means to inflate and deflate said bag rapidly consisting of a reservoir of air above normal in pressure and a reservoir of air below normal in pressure, electrically operated air valves to establish air flow communication between said bag and each of said reservoirs separately, mechanically interlocked circuit makers for operating said air valves separately, other electrical circuit makers in the said circuit for operating said air valve between said reservoir of air above normal in pressure and said bag, one of said circuit makers being constructed and arranged to close said circuit only when said lid is clamped to said bin and another of said circuit makers being constructed and arranged to open said circuit when the pressure in said bag has risen to a point above a predetermined value, means to establish and maintain said above normal and said below normal pressures in said reservoirs, said last means being comparatively low in capacity and slow in operation to provide quiet and economical operation whereby said reservoirs are charged slowly and said bag is inflated or deflated rapidly.

2. The combination of a compacting bag within the trash bin of a waste disposer, said trash bin and a lid therefor having means to clamp said lid tightly to said bin to confine said bag when inflated to said bin, and means to inflate and deflate said bag rapidly consisting of a reservoir of air above normal in pressure provided with a relief valve for limiting the high pressure therein to a predetermined value, and a reservoir of air below normal in pressure provided with a relief valve for limiting the low pressure therein to a predetermined value, electrically operated air valves to establish communication between said bag and each of said reservoirs separately, mechanically interlocked circuit makers for operating said air valves separately, means to establish and maintain said above normal and said below normal pressures in said reservoirs, said last means being comparatively low in capacity and slow in operation to provide quiet and economical operation whereby said reservoirs are charged slowly and said bag is inflated or deflated rapidly.

3. The combination of a compacting bag within the trash bin of a waste disposer, said trash bin and a lid therefor having means to clamp said lid tightly to said bin to confine said bag to said bin when inflated, and means to inflate and deflate said bag rapidly consisting of a reservoir of air above normal in pressure and a reservoir of air below normal in pressure, a motor compressor to charge said first reservoir and said second reservoir, electrically operated air valves to establish air flow communication between said bag and each of said reservoirs separately, mechanically interlocked circuit makers for operating said air valves separately, other electrical circuit makers in the said circuit for operating said air valve between said reservoir of air above normal in pressure and said bag, one of said circuit makers being constructed and arranged to close said circuit only when said lid is clamped to said bin and another of said circuit makers being constructed and arranged to open said circuit when the pressure in said bag has risen to a point above a predetermined value, the motor of said motor compressor being comparatively low in capacity to provide quiet and economical operation whereby said reservoirs are charged slowly and said bag is inflated or deflated rapidly.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,471,091 10/23 Bessesen 222386.5 1,926,378 9/33 Getz 62-242 1,949,278 2/34 Johnson -211 X 1,993,201 3/35 Yandell 68242 2,074,959 3/37 Guest.

2,428,710 10/47 Jorgenson et a1. 68242 2,472,682 6/49 Rand 68242 X 2,679,059 5/54 Perkins et al. 100211 X 2,758,747 8/56 Stevens 222--386.5 X 2,817,228 12/57 Koplin 68242 2,923,130 2/60 Wheelon 113-44 X 3,133,492 5/64 Czulak et al. 6821 X WALTER A. SCHEEL, Primary Examiner. 

1. THE COMBINATION OF A COMPACTING BAG WITHIN THE TRAHS BIN OF A WASTE DISPOSER, SAID TRASH BIN AND A LID THEREFOR HAVING MEANS TO CLAMP SAID LID TIGHTLY TO SAID BIN TO CONFINE SAID BAG TO SAID BIN WHEN INFLATED, AND MEANS TO INFLATE AND DEFLATE SAID BAG RAPIDLY CONSISTING OF A RESERVOIR OF AIR ABOVE NORMAL IN PRESSURE AND A RESERVOIR OF AIR BELOW NORMAL IN PRESSURE, ELECTRICALLY OPERATED AIR VALVES TO ESTABLISH AIR FLOW COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID BAG AND EACH OF SAID RESERVOIRS SEPARATELY, MECHANICALLY INTERLOCKED CIRCUIT MAKERS FOR OPERATING SAID AIR VALVES SEPARATELY, OTHER ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT MAKERS IN THE SAID CIRCUIT FOR OPERAING SAID AIR VALVE BETWEEN SAID RESERVOIR OF AIR ABOVE NORMAL IN PRESSURE AND SAID BAG, ONE OF SAID CIRCUIT MAKERS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO CLOSE SAID CIRCUIT ONLY WHEN SAID LID IS CLAMPED TO SAID BIN AND ANOTHER OF SAID CIRCUIT MAKERS BEING CONSTRUCTED AND ARRANGED TO OPEN SAID CIRCUIT WHEN THE PRESSURE IN SAID BAG HAS RISEN TO A POINT ABOVE A PREDETERMINED VALUE, MEANS TO ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN SAID ABOVE NORMAL AND SAID BELOW NORMAL PRESSURES IN SAID RESERVOIRS, SAID LAST MEANS BEING COMPARATIVELY LOW IN CAPACITY AND SLOW IN OPERATION TO PROVIDE QUIET AND ECONOMICAL OPERATION WHEREBY SAID RESERVOIRS ARE CHARGED SLOWLY AND SAID BAG IS INFLATED OR DEFLATED RAPIDLY. 